Abigail Lowery may not recall the broken clavicle from the day she was born, but there are many other breaks that are clear in her memory. The first fracture she recalls happened on her preschool playground when another child collided with her on the slide and broke both the tibia and fibula of her lower leg. She also vividly remembers a fractured fibula in middle school, a compressed L4 vertebrae in fifth grade, and two breaks in her pelvis following a car accident at 17 years old. In total, Abby has had 25 broken bones, one for each year of her age.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bone Disease
The source of Abby’s many broken bones is a genetic condition known as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) type 1. The condition is caused by mutations in the COL1A1 or COL1A2 genes, which provide instructions for making type 1 collagen, the most abudant protein in bone. These mutations result in a reduced amount of normal type 1 collagen or the production of abnormal type 1 collagen and lead to brittle bones which can be broken from even minor trauma. It’s a condition that requires vigilance and frequent care from a well-versed orthopedic specialist. Fortunately, Abby’s parents quickly found that care for her in Dr. Michael Frierson of the Bone and Joint Clinic of Baton Rouge.
“Dr. Frierson lays out all of the options and gives his opinion,” says Abby’s mom, Mandi. “If he told us Abby needed to stand on her head three times of day, that’s what we would’ve done. We absolutely love him to death. I recommend him to every person who ever asks.”
Louisiana Osteogenesis Imperfecta Specialist
Abby first began seeing Dr. Frierson when she was just two years old after her parents were fatefully referred to him by another physician. Quickly, Dr. Frierson became much more to Abby and her family than just another doctor. He was both a partner and protector along a very difficult journey. He was not only treating Abby when fractures occurred, but he was also spotting problems and addressing them early. By the time she was in pre-k, he had her in orthotics to prevent added complications from her flat feet and weakened ankles, and he identified her scoliosis when she was in second grade.
Treatment for Severe Scoliosis
Catching the scoliosis early, Dr. Frierson diligently monitored Abby’s progress and worked aggressively to prevent the need for surgery for as long as possible. She went through years of various braces, from ones she wore only at night to ones that stayed on 23 hours per day. By the time she was twelve years old, surgery had become unavoidable. In the middle of her 7th grade school year, she underwent a spinal fusion that required six weeks of recovery. She was both sad and frightened, but thankfully, she had Dr. Frierson on her side, a doctor who made her feel safe and whose judgment her family had come to trust wholeheartedly. Looking back, Abby recalls a particular photo taken at this time: “Dr. Frierson is holding up my spine x-ray after surgery with a very large smile on his face because we had gone from an 86 degrees curve down to 21, which is a huge accomplishment.”
Moving Forward with OI
Today, Abby is a 25-year-old graduate student pursuing a master's degree in Chicago. She is passionate about making art accessible to everyone, particularly the disabled. She is enrolled in a clinical drug trial for adults with OI and has a service dog named Cami to help her avoid potential injuries. Cami opens doors, picks things up, and walks beside Abby in stairwells to prevent others from bumping into her. She is lovingly referred to as Abby’s “linebacker,” clearing the way for a safe path forward.
All-in-all, life is going well for Abby, and an exciting future lies ahead. Her only wish is that she could find another doctor as compassionate and skilled in OI as Dr. Frierson, but she admits that he’s a tough act to follow.
“Dr. Frierson is amazing,” she says. “He deserves all of his accolades. He’s one-of-a-kind, and I’m worried a little bit that I won’t ever find another person like him. I hope I will eventually, but he’s just so wonderful.”
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